Karmanjakah - Diamond Morning

Karmanjakah is a Swedish progressive metal band that took me by storm in February when they released their single Dove.

The song starts furiously and then goes into a driving, groovy beat with beautiful vocals that keeps me hooked from start to finish.
Accompanied by a music video with a vibe that just clicks with me, I kept coming back to it regularly for the whole audio/visual experience.
Each single has been on my regular daily rotation for months now, eagerly waiting for the full album to drop.

Finally last Thursday night the band released their full album on YouTube with me and others there to enjoy it together with the band in chat.
The visuals for each song of the album follow an artistic thread that really resonates with me. It’s an art style that feels very grounded, very photographic, very Swedish.

I think the album is an experience made to be listened to from start to finish. With all the interludes and songs flowing into each other, it flows the best that way. The start of the album with the singles is the strongest part. Those songs are so good, I’m listening to them every day. And while the interludes are good musicianship, taken out of their context they don’t click, enforcing the feeling of the album being made to be listened to from start to finish.
The album as a whole though is beautiful and unique. The skill and artistry on display on the songs, the artwork and videos is S-tier.
Karmanjakah has defined something that is entirely their own and unmistakenly them. It’s music for metal heads that don’t take that label too seriously.